Chapter 1

Icy shackles locked his hands and feet, and an iron frame secured his head, extending two face openers to hold his eyelids open, preventing him from blinking. In front of the iron frame chair was a black screen, flanked by speakers on either side.

Han Xiao was immobilized in the chair, staring straight ahead at the dark screen.

"How long for the brainwashing?"

"Twelve hours."

"You keep watch here." Hella finished, then left with her men.

Lin Weixian flipped the switch, and the screen lit up, displaying bizarre images: triangles, circles, waves, constantly shifting shapes, colors changing rapidly, creating a strong visual impact on Han Xiao, causing him to feel a very uncomfortable sense of strangeness. The speakers played music that was sometimes agitated and sometimes soothing; the intense contradiction instinctively made Han Xiao feel uneasy. He wanted to close his eyes, but the face openers held his eyelids open, his eyeballs gradually becoming bloodshot, feeling sore and astringent.

Wow, this is so uncomfortable!

This was a relatively primitive brainwashing method. The brain was like a precision instrument. The basic principle was to use the continuous conflict of sight and sound to disrupt thinking. After calibration and resetting, a "thought imprint" was instilled. Although this method was a bit primitive, it also had advantages: it would not cause excessive damage to the brain structure. In Lin Weixian's eyes, Han Xiao's brain had extraordinary value; it was a precious work of art.

Lin Weixian's greedy gaze made Han Xiao very angry, like a butcher looking at a meat pig, contemplating which cut of meat was the best.

He had 4 free attribute points. After thinking about it, he invested 2 points to increase his Intelligence to 7 points, leaving 2 free attribute points in reserve.

[You are currently experiencing brainwashing (low level). Initiating mental resistance check... Intelligence 7 points, low-level mental resilience +3... Check passed, you are immune to this brainwashing.]

The feeling of nausea slowly subsided, and Han Xiao felt better.

Lin Weixian secretly complained that Hella had dumped the troublesome brainwashing work on him, but he didn't know that right under his nose, Han Xiao had already become immune to the brainwashing.

...

As the last resistance check ended, Han Xiao had endured twelve hours of torment, his back aching, his eyes dry.

Lin Weixian timed it perfectly and turned off the brainwashing equipment. Han Xiao immediately felt like he had been given a new life.

Hella came over again. The leader had ordered her to personally brainwash Han Xiao, and no mistakes were allowed.

The restraints on his body were released by Hella. The areas that had been bound had poor blood circulation and were mottled with purple bruises. Although Han Xiao was in pain, he didn't lower his head to look. He had to act out the state of being brainwashed, keeping his eyes dull, unfocused, staring straight ahead.

Hella suddenly bent down and leaned close, her face only ten centimeters away from his. Her moist breath brushed against his lips. Han Xiao didn't have any romantic thoughts. Jeez, in such a dangerous situation, he couldn't muster any inappropriate thoughts at all.

The scent of the woman's perfume was clearly transmitted into Han Xiao's nose, making his nose a little itchy. He barely managed to resist sneezing.

Hella's tone was soft, as if carrying a hypnotic feeling, as she asked, "Who are you?"

Hiss... After brainwashing, a prepared identity was usually instilled. Faced with uncertain questions, the best response was silence. Han Xiao mobilized his facial muscles, revealing a dazed expression, as if he had been broken, ignoring Hella's words.

I might not be good at other things, but I can still play a poker face.

Hella spoke close to his ear, murmuring words mixed with moist heat entering his ear, the wine-red curls tickling his neck, a little itchy. In the corner of his eye, he could see Hella's open combat uniform collar, a large expanse of smooth, snowy white almost blinding him. Han Xiao's heart was calm and unwavering, like a Buddha. There is a well in the Azure Mountain called Empty, and an island in the Pine Sea called Maple. Are you kidding me? I've watched *Calabash Brothers* hundreds of times, do you think I'd fall for your honey trap?

"From today on, your name is Zero. Germination Organization is your home, your country, a place of solace to which you willingly dedicate everything. You possess supreme loyalty to the organization. Everything you do, every thought you have, must be based on the organization's interests. You must not conceal anything, must not act in a way that harms the organization's interests. The meaning of your existence is to execute the organization's orders, and to be ready to give your life for the organization at any time!"

Lin Weixian added with a sneer, "You are the organization's person in life, and the organization's ghost in death. Even if you are made into a specimen, you can only obey!"

Hella: "Who are you?"

This time was different from before; it was a question to judge whether the brainwashing was successful. Han Xiao's mind raced, and he didn't answer immediately.

Hella frowned, turned to look at Lin Weixian, her eyes cold.

Lin Weixian muttered, "I've been brainwashing according to the procedure, there shouldn't be any mistakes."

Just then, Han Xiao finally spoke, deliberately drawing out his tone, making it sound like he was slow to react, "I am Zero..."

Lin Weixian's eyes lit up, and he thought of an explanation, "The Valkyrie solution enhances Zero's learning ability, the side effect may be weakening his emotional communication ability."

Hella thought of Zero's previous focus on books, and he was indeed insensitive to external changes, so she couldn't help but believe this explanation. "It seems the experiment isn't perfect."

Lin Weixian scoffed, "You're wrong, this is the perfect effect. What does a cannon fodder need emotions for?"

"...Take him to rest, I'll go ask the leader for instructions."

Temporarily safe! Han Xiao finally breathed a sigh of relief. While being brainwashed, he had already decided to shape himself into an image of slow reaction, which could reduce the enemy's vigilance.

"Although the location of the transmigration isn't very good, it's fortunate that the timing isn't too bad."

The Valkyrie experiment he experienced was only a rudimentary version of the future [Super Soldier Project]. The micro self-destruct chip to control the test subjects' loyalty had not yet been developed. If he had transmigrated to that time, he felt that it would be better to cut off his own roots and die early to suffer less.

The goddess of luck has finally favored me!

...

Hella connected to an encrypted number. "Leader, Zero's condition is stable."

A hoarse male voice came from the phone, "Was the brainwashing completed?"

"I supervised it personally, there won't be any problems. What arrangements do you have for Zero?"

"The purpose of the Valkyrie experiment is to train warriors, train him."

Hella was noncommittal. Since it was the leader's arrangement, she had no objections.

"How is my sister?"

"Hmph, that's not our deal." The male voice was slightly playful, "I gave you permission to visit once every two months, don't cross the line."

The veins on Hella's fair back of her hand bulged, her face gloomy.

The male voice chuckled hoarsely, the sound as grating as sandpaper, and hung up the phone with a snap.

...

The architectural tone of the Valkyrie Laboratory was white. Located underground, the air was filled with a sense of oppression. The guards coming and going had eyes as cold as knives.

After resting for a night, Han Xiao was taken to a closed training ground, where Hella was waiting for him.

He wasn't sure what arrangements the Germination Organization had for him, but he speculated that they wouldn't abandon his "learning ability," and he would definitely get many opportunities to acquire mechanical technology experience.

In the short term, it seemed that he couldn't escape this heavily guarded base. Han Xiao was mentally prepared to be trapped for a long time.

"Zero, from today on, you will undergo combat and shooting training every day."

Hella threw a set of protective gear to Han Xiao. "Put it on."

Seeing this posture, he was about to start fighting. Han Xiao quickly put on the protective gear.

Hella twisted her feet, the high-top combat boots making a harsh rubbing sound on the floor, bursting out with tremendous kinetic energy. In the blink of an eye, she crossed the five-meter distance and rushed to Han Xiao's face, her long legs wrapped in a black tight-fitting uniform carrying the sound of the wind, lashing out like a whip.

"Bang!"

Too fast!

Han Xiao's eyes blurred and he was kicked. Even with the protective gear, his sternum still creaked, his face suddenly turned pale, he took more than ten steps back, clutching his chest and coughing violently.

As expected of a super-powered person, even without going all out, the speed was still several times faster than ordinary people.

Hella said lightly, "I'll give you thirty seconds to rest, continue."

The combat training was crude and simple, without a word of communication, just non-stop fighting. Two hours passed, Han Xiao was exhausted, every part of his body aching. He suspected that this woman had sadistic tendencies. Did women with queen-like dressing styles all like this kind of tone?

[Hella (Lv30) has taught you [Basic Combat], current progress 5%]

After the training, Hella didn't say a word and turned to leave.

A burly man walked in, grabbed Han Xiao, who was almost falling apart, and came to the adjacent shooting training range.

"I am your firearms instructor, and also the deputy director of the base, Balota." The burly man introduced himself, with a ferocious appearance, a hideous scar on his forehead, and a pair of triangular eyes full of baleful aura. He stuffed a Type 73 Hornet pistol into his hand and said, "There are ten training bullets inside, hit the head of the target with all of them."

Han Xiao was stunned. The humanoid targets were thirty meters away, moving horizontally in an irregular manner. To start with such a high difficulty, he had no shooting skills to correct him, which meant he was a novice who had never touched a gun. It would be lucky if he didn't miss the target, and hit the head with all of them? Only an Olympic shooting champion could do that!

Han Xiao had to raise the pistol with his sore arm and pull the trigger. The recoil made his wrist feel dull and painful.

Bang bang bang, after firing ten shots, Han Xiao looked at the electronic scoreboard next to him. The score was naturally not enough.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his back as if he had been cut by a sharp weapon. Han Xiao's heart trembled, and he controlled himself with great perseverance so as not to scream on the spot. Looking back, he saw Balota playing with a dark tactical dagger, licking the blood-stained blade with his tongue, with a morbid excitement on his face, and sneered, "Continue, if you don't meet my requirements, I'll give you a knife, let's see how much blood you're going to shed today."

"Madman!" Han Xiao was furious, reached out and touched his back, his hand was wet with blood.

One wall of the shooting range was a one-way mirror, behind the mirror was a monitoring room, where Hella and Lin Weixian were watching this scene.

Lin Weixian shook his head and said, "Such a precious test subject, Balota doesn't know how to cherish it at all, I might as well dissect him and study him."

A trace of disgust flashed in Hella's eyes, then disappeared without a trace, and glanced at Lin Weixian indifferently, "The organization will not agree to your request."

Lin Weixian sneered, "When the organization has squeezed out his value, it will eventually send him to my experimental table. I created him, he is my personal property!"

Hella knew that Lin Weixian was telling the truth. This was the organization's way of doing things, so she simply stopped talking.

In the eyes of the organization, Han Xiao was just a tool, not even a "person."

...

[Balota (Lv15) has taught you [Basic Shooting], current progress 5%! [Agent] class unlock progress 1%]

Another knife was cut on his arm, each knife was not deep, but he had accumulated more than a dozen cuts on his body, and his clothes were soaked in blood.

Balota watched with interest as Han Xiao's face was pale but he didn't say a word, squinting his eyes with an enjoyable expression. He liked the touch of the blade across the flesh, he liked the smell of blood, the bright red blooming like flowers, was the most beautiful sight in his eyes.

"Why don't you scream?" Balota played with the dagger, his tone intoxicated, "If you don't scream, you're not a qualified toy."

Perverted scum!

Han Xiao took a deep breath, wanting to smash a punch on Balota's morbid smiling face, but he knew that such reckless action would only bring bad results. It was like being crushed in League of Legends and still going head to head with the enemy, only to be crushed even more miserably.

The correct way is to call the jungler, bring the jungler down too, and then everyone can happily argue, type gg in laughter and joy, saving a game's worth of wasted life...

If it was according to his temper when he was young, he would go up and slap him twice and a set of quality combo, but now it's not like a player who can be resurrected, what else can he do? Still not like a father to forgive others.

"Let you laugh enough first, there will always be a time for you to cry..." Han Xiao gritted his teeth, not out of anger, but out of pain.